


We Forge the Truth in Flame

by CryoCait



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Empire Siblings - Freeform, Espionage, Heavy Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, We're all sleeping on Caleb's 16 Charisma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-17 12:18:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16974459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CryoCait/pseuds/CryoCait
Summary: Beau wasn't back in Zadash for three days after the Avantika ordeal before being summoned to the Archive, only to receive notice of an important mission for her: go and protect a member of the Cerberus Assembly as they sit in on a war trade tribunal between the Empire and Tal'Dorei. She wasn't expecting it to be filled with political espionage, assassination attempts, and to be forced to fight the oncoming war in back room deals and sneaky alliances.She definitely wasn't expecting the man organizing the meeting to introduce Master Trent Ikithon, and his protege, Caleb Widogast.No, she really wasn't expecting that sort of blow from someone she thought to be a friend.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beau is called in for a strange meeting with the Cobalt Soul and revelations occur.

It was a rare occurrence for Beau to receive mail.

During her childhood she received the odd letter, of course. Holiday greetings and birthday well wishes from distant relatives and the families of potential future suitors, but typically those needed but a cursory glance and a quick trip into the fireplace to become kindling. Very rarely were the letters of importance. That is precisely why when such a letter arrived for her at the Leaky Tap early one morning, she was completely taken by surprise.

The letter was thin, not even enclosed in an envelope, just folded into thirds and sealed with wax, a familiar cobalt blue.

 _Beauregard,_ the letter read;

_It has come to our attention a matter of the utmost importance, we request your immediate presence at the Archive._

_We are aware of your presence in Zadash and failure to comply will result in immediate and severe consequences._

_-The Archive of the Cobalt Soul_

The handwriting was neat, formal. It was custom for monks in their training to perform countless hours of penmanship drills, writing and rewriting short stories until they were immaculate. Even Beau, in all of her disobedience, had picked up the traditionally beautiful handwriting of the Cobalt Soul. It was soft and flowing, yet still easily legible to anyone who read Common. This made the second set of handwriting beneath, sharper and quicker than the first, stand out all the more.

_Do come for this one, Beauregard. I think you’ll enjoy it._

_-Dairon_

This caught Beau by surprise. Last she had heard, Dairon was still on the war front.

 _Well_ Beau thought. _If Dairon is there…_

The morning was still young, the sun still making its way towards mid-day crest. The other members of the Mighty Nein were scattered amongst Zadash, handling chores and shopping, spending the gold burning holes in their coin purse.

They had arrived back in Zadash only a few days prior, exhausted and overjoyed to be back in a familiar setting after the chaos surrounding Fjord’s patron. They still left with what felt like more questions than answers, but they had leads on where to go in the future. They each took a few days to relax and enjoy themselves in the city, sleeping and eating good foods, a wonderful reprieve from the magically conjured goods Caduceus and Jester produced to sustain them until reaching dry land. This morning, however, their third day back, it seemed as if each member of the Nein awoke individually and decided to scatter to the four winds.

Jester took off towards the Tri-Spire, beelining for Chastity’s Nook and the promise of smut and baked goods, dragging Yasha along with her. Nott went to the far edges of the city, following a possible lead of firearms manufacturing, desperate for another chance to get her hands on something combustible. Caleb had taken off at the earliest sign of light, mumbling half-formed sentences about books and research for a project. Fjord and Caduceus made their way to the Pentamarket, eagerly making their way towards Pumat Sol’s shop. This left Beau in the rare position of being, for once, completely alone.

Stuffing the letter into one of her pockets, she threw back the rest of her drink and slammed several coins onto the bar. Sliding off the barstool, she made her way to the front of the tavern, pushing the door open and stepping into the bustling city street.

The sky was a bright, clear blue, and the light from the morning sun streamed directly into Beau’s eyes. She blinked and squinted her eyes against the light and began trudging her way towards the Interstead Sprawl.

The Archive of the Cobalt Soul was by no means a plain building. On the contrary, it was quite beautiful. A large, spiraling tower topped the building, tapering off into a dome-like structure, with three smaller towers of similar shape flanking it. In the morning sunlight, the building almost seemed to sparkle, its smooth stone exterior catching the light, sending it dancing off in countless directions. Intricate carvings and filigree shone in the light, making the building seem almost unnaturally bright.

Beau hated it.

She ambled up the steps leading to the front door, debating in her mind her different options.

 _I could still bolt._ She thought. _They haven’t seen me, I haven’t opened the doors yet, I could just go and not deal with this bullshit._ She stared the door.

“Ah, fuck it.” She said to herself and pushed the door open.

The interior was just as beautiful as the exterior, a brightly lit hall with a dark stained large front desk at the front. Beau tromped up to it, regretting her decision almost immediately. At the front desk an older man stood, looking over several papers. He was human, with salt and pepper hair and smile lines. Beau walked up to him, clearing her throat.

“Uh, I got this letter. Someone needs me, I guess?” She reached into her pocket, pulling the letter from inside and handing it to the man. He accepted and opened it, reading. “It didn’t have a name of anything, it just said it was from the Archive, so I dunno who to talk to or anything.” The man looked up at her and smiled.

“That, I believe, would be Markov. I was told to keep an eye out for you, Beauregard. I’m sure he’s expecting you.” The man shuffled his papers into a neat stack and placed them under the desk. “If you would follow me, I’ll take you back.” He stepped out from behind the desk and started walking down a long hallway off the side of the main hall.

The route they took started normally, however, the surroundings slowly began to shift. While at the front, the walls remained ornate and elegant. The farther back they went, though, the more things began to change. The filigree vanished from the walls, followed by any art and ornate light fixtures. Soon, the hallway was far more utilitarian than ornamental.

They walked for what seemed like hours. The path was unfamiliar to Beau, surprising her. She had previously thought she knew the layout of the Archive perfectly, she spent days mapping it to help with her escape plans. This, however, was entirely unfamiliar to her.

Finally, they stopped in front of a door. It was unassuming, only a single plaque reading “Markov” indicated any sign of inhabitance.

The man, who walked her in silence, never once giving his name, smiled at her and knocked on the door for her.

“I’ll leave you to it.” He said, and walked off.

Beau was left alone for only a moment before she heard the sound of footsteps from behind the door. Swinging open, a man, half-elven, stood before her.

He was not young, but not too old. His hair was a light blonde, nearly white. He stood with a quiet confidence Beau could only dream of having, a small smile on his face.

“Ah, Beauregard, I’m glad you could make it. Dairon, it seems I owe you some coin, she came after all.” It was in that moment Beau realized he wasn’t alone in the room. Standing in the corner was her teacher, Dairon. The man stepped to the side. “Please, come in. We have much to discuss.”

Beau shuffled in, hovering near the doorway as he shut the door behind them. He held his hand out to her. “It’s good to finally meet you Beauregard, my name is Markov.” She took his hand, shaking for only a moment.

“It’s Beau, no one calls me Beauregard. Well, one friend does, but he’s weird so I let it slide.” He smiled at her.

“Beau it is.” He moved to sit behind a large desk to the side of the room. “Now, do you have any idea why it is you’re here today?”

Beau scoffed. “No? Your letter was real fucking vague on the details of all this. Just said I had to show up or you’d kick my ass.” This elicited a laugh from Markov.

“I apologize about that, I didn’t write that. I imagine it was likely Zeenoth who wrote that.” Beau snorted.

“Well that explains a lot.” Markov waved his hand in the air.

“Unimportant. Beau, what do you know about the Cerberus Assembly?” He asked. Beau blinked.

“As much as the next person, I guess. Why? They’re a bunch of magic wielding dicks who think they’re better than us.”

Markov sighed. “That is exactly what I feared.” He paused, glancing at Dairon. “There have been…tensions, between the Cerberus Assembly and the Cobalt Soul for a very long time. These tensions are not something the Cobalt Soul, I believe, can currently afford. I am the essentially the head of outreach for the Archive, Beau. My job is to secure strong connections with people and associations in order to maintain our safety and stability long term. I have just come into the role recently, and my primary goal for the foreseeable future is securing a strong relationship between the Cobalt Soul and the Cerberus Assembly. So, when they reached out requesting protection detail on a high profile case of theirs, I agreed.”

“And when I learned they had requested the detail, I requested the Expositors to handle it, specifically you.” Dairon said, stepping forward. “We have never had an east opening into the inner workings of the Cerberus Assembly, and many of their ways are widely unknown to us. Go and learn all you can, Beauregard. This will be a good test of your fortitude and mental acuity.”

Beau frowned. They said a lot, but never really explained shit.

“Wait. So I’m…what? Going and helping the Cerberus Assembly with something? What is it?” Markov had the sense to look chagrined.

“Unfortunately, that isn’t something we fully know. The relationship is still tense, and they were scarce on the details. All we know is they require a protective force for a case of theirs that is very important and very high level. You’ll be interacting with some of the highest ranking members of the Cerberus Assembly, Beau.”

Beau was taken aback, there was no way she was even remotely qualified for anything of this magnitude, right?

“Thanks for thinking of me but, why? Why me?” She asked. “I’m a piece of shit. Everyone here knows I’m a piece of shit. Why not send someone better qualified for this than me?”

“I didn’t think I needed to be more straight forward that this was a test for you, Beauregard. Succeed in this and move forward to the next step of your training.”

Oh, _oh._

“And you don’t know anything else about this?” She asked them. “Not where it is, not how long it’s for, nothing?”

Markov sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Unfortunately, no. As I said, the relationship between the Assembly and the Archive is strained, to say the least. It was a small miracle they even requested the security detail from us in the first place.”

The room was silent for a long moment. Beau stood, staring at nothing as she contemplated what this meant. It wasn’t like she was on her own anymore, she had people who counted on her, who she counted on.

What if this went on for an extended period of time? What if something happened to them while she was away? She couldn’t let that happen, one loss was already too many. But, then again…

She glanced over at Dairon, who was looking at her, a quiet intensity in the glance. She still had so much to learn, so much to do. It couldn’t hurt to go to the meeting and just learn about the job, right? If she didn’t like it or thought it was too long to be gone, she could always bolt. She was positive the Gentleman had work that could take the Mighty Nein far away from Zadash if need be.

“So,” she asked, “Where do I need to go?”

The Hall of Erudition was large, much larger than the Archive. It was grand, to say the least. Beau stared up at the gargantuan double doors that stood at the top of a large set of stone steps. Marble, she was fairly certain.

The building made the Archive look plain in comparison, she noted. She had passed by the Grand Hall several times in the past, it always stood out amongst the buildings surrounding it. It was in the nicest area of Zadash, and yet it made important city centers seem like backwater taverns. Slowly, Beau made her way up the steps.

At the top, a young man in a red uniform stood at the front of the doors.

 _Private security._ Beau realized. _Damn._

“May I help you?” The man asked. He was polite, yet cool towards her, as if he wanted her there just as little as she did. She pulled the scroll from her pocket that Markov had given her before she left the Archive.

“Yeah.” She said, handing the scroll to him. “I’m from the Cobalt Soul, I’m here on orders from Archivist Markov regarding work for the Assembly.” The man glanced at the scroll for just a moment, assessing to see if it was some sort of forgery. Rolling it up, he handed it back to her.

“Keep that with you, it will act as clearance to move past any public spaces. They’re waiting inside for you.” Beau took the scroll back, thanking him as the doors opened of their own accord in front of her.

The interior was infinitely more elaborate than the exterior, marble columns reaching high towards the ceiling, intricate carvings lining the walls. Standing to the side was a young woman, half-elven, with black hair pulled back into a long braid that fell down her back. As Beau entered, she started walking towards her.

“You must be the member of the Cobalt Soul we requested.” The woman said, extending her hand. “My name is Kaya, I’ll be you handler during your time here.”

Beau took her hand, shaking it. “Beau.” Kaya smiled.

“Pleased to meet you Beau. Please, follow me, you came at just the right time, the Archmages should be prepared to debrief you of the details of your work here any minute.” Kaya started walking down one of the countless corridors that branched off from the main hall like spider’s legs. Beau jogged to catch up with her.

“Wait, the _archmages?_ Like, the people in charge of the whole fucking Assembly?” Kaya grinned, nodding briefly.

“Yes, they’ll be expecting you shortly.” They turned a corner, and walked up to a large door. Kaya knocked.

After several moments, the door opened to an elven man and a human woman. The man was tall, slim, with black hair and a trimmed beard. The woman was stockier, with dark red hair that barely reached her shoulders.

“Kaya, I see you’ve collected the monk.” The man said. Kaya nodded. “Very good, both of you come in.” He invited them inside. The room was large, a conference room of some kind. The back wall was lined with tome upon tome, the walls a rich red. A large wooden table sat in the center of the room, a dozen or so chairs surrounding it. Several other people sat around the table.

The man gestured to a chair. “Please, sit.” He said, sitting himself. “Let me introduce myself. My name is Athesius Uludun, Archmage of Diplomatic Union for the Cerberus Assembly, and this is my compatriot, Lady Vess DeRogna, Archmage of Antiquity.” He gestured to the red haired woman sitting next to him. “Thank you for joining us on such short notice. We’ve travelled quite a long way from Rexxentrum to organize this, so we appreciate the haste.”

“My name is Beau- Beauregard. The pleasure is all mine.” Beau looked around the room, several pairs of eyes met hers. She looked back to Athesius. “So, the Archivists said you needed security detail for someone? Mind if I know a bit more? The details were a bit vague back at the Archive.”

Athesius nodded. “Of course. We apologize, but the specifics of the mission at hand are to be kept highly confidential, I hope you understand our need for secrecy.”

“No, no. I get it. But, I’m here now, the ball is in your court. What’s going on?” Athesius settled a little in his seat.

“I assume it comes as little shock to you to learn there is a war rapidly approaching the Empire, Beauregard.” He said to her. Beau shrugged.

“Yeah, I saw the attack to Zadash a while back, I’ve seen the troops moving towards the border.”

“Good. Whenever war is to be had, no matter where you are, trade agreements start flying. Troops need supplies, countries need imports, and other countries need to be assured that the exports from the country at war will keep flowing. Right now, the Empire is receiving a flood of these agreements.” Another man, shorter, handed several documents to Beau. They were chocked full of information, names, ages, race, countries, you name it. “In six days time a trade tribunal between the Empire and Tal’Dorei will commence back in Rexxentrum. Dozens of the highest profile diplomats and tradesmen from both sides will be in attendance. We within the Assembly like to keep ourselves a few steps ahead of the average citizen, so we managed to score a seat at the table. You will be escorting one of our highest profile members to the trade agreements, you will go undercover as need be, and you will gain as much information as you can, and you will keep them safe from harm. The tribunal is ten days long, we will escort you to Rexxentrum, and provide passage back to Zadash so you may report what you learned back to the Cobalt Soul. Are we clear?”

Beau was reeling.

She was being sent to handle some of the most powerful diplomats in the world.

She was going to be gone for weeks on end.

She was going to have to sit through _meetings._

“So, let me get this straight. You want me to play bodyguard to some wizard as they sit through meetings for ten days?” She slouched back in her chair. “Not exactly my speed, man.”

“What if I told you you would receive a guaranteed audience with the king?” Beau scoffed at that.

“Even less.” Athesius leveled a stare a her for a long beat, assessing. Finally, he leaned back in his seat.

“Beauregard-“

“Beau.” Athesius looked at her, confused. “My name is Beau.” He nodded.

“Beau, what I am about to tell you does not leave this room, do you understand?” Slowly, she nodded. “Good. There is war coming to the Empire. It will be played out on the battlefield, yes, but largely, war plays out in back rooms and dark deals exchanged between the elite. The war has begun, Beau. We need you to go and fight, and we need your help to win. We have plans to ensure victory for the Empire, but we cannot go in alone. That is precisely why we need you. I have no doubt people will try and end your life while there. I have no doubt someone will try and end the life of several diplomats for Tal’Dorei. They must be protected at all costs, that is our primary goal. Protection, and information seeking. You will likely have to go undercover. You will likely have to lie, cheat, and steal. You will almost certainly have to kill. Now, does this seem more your speed, Beauregard?”

Almost without control, Beau nodded.

“Yeah.” She said. “Yeah, I’m in.” Athesius nodded.

“Good.” He straightened back up. “We are currently missing several members, they are debriefing your new partner now. They will join us soon and we will give you the nitty gritty details we need you to know so you can memorize them while on the road. It is about a four day ride from here to Rexxentrum, you will have ample time to drill names and details about every diplomat you need to know in that time. We will be leaving at first light tomorrow morning, so you can let anyone who needs to be informed of your absence know you’ll be gone.”

Beau looked around again. So, none of these people were going into this with her, huh?

“so who _is_ my partner, anyway? You’ve made it plainly clear I’m babysitting someone, so do I get to meet them or what? Do I at least get a name?”

As Beau finished her sentence, another younger man knocked on the door, slowly opening it. He looked to the Archmages.

“They’re ready for you now.” Athesius nodded to him.

“Send them in.” He turned to Beau and stood, motioning for her to follow. She did. “Perfect timing.” He smiled.

The door opened again. In walked two men. Athesius motioned towards the first. He was older, with grey skin and a welcoming smile. “Beau, meet Headmaster Oremid Hass, head of the Hall of Erudition.” He smiled, nodding his head towards her.

“We’ve met, you fought and won this year’s Victory Pit.” Beau smiled.

“That I did. A pleasure meeting you again.”

“You as well. I trust you also remember my partner, Master Trent Ikithon?” Beau turned to the second man.

Fuck.

Beau gritted her teeth, forcing herself to smile. “I do.” She extended her hand towards him, offering it. He took it and shook.

“A pleasure seeing you again, Beauregard. I apologize for my pupil, he’s always getting distracted by something or another, he was right behind us. He will be your partner for this trip.”

A set of footsteps clacked down the marble floors just outside. They got louder until a third man walked into the room. He was tall, with a long coat, blue eyes, and red hair.

Athesius smiled.

Beau’s heart stopped.

“Beau, this is Master Ikithon’s protégé and leader of the Order of Civil Influence, Mage Caleb Widogast.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A list of things:  
> 1) This idea has completely taken over my life since I thought it up  
> 2) Caleb has a 16 Charisma and I feel like it isn't discussed enough  
> 3) Going from writing scripts in present tense to writing fiction is past is difficult for me, and I know I have to bring it up basically every time I write but it's important for me to make sure you know that I'm aware this feels oddly stilted at points.  
> 4) Yes? No? Thoughts? Let me know in the comments!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beau spends hours pouring over endless information with the Cerberus Assembly, yet she still walks out with more questions than answers.

Beau’s vision went blurry.

She stared at the all too familiar face in front of her.

She had been lied to before, of course she had. Basically everyone who she ever cared about or looked up to had, at some point, massively dicked her over and lied to her in some terrible way. Her father, her mother, her tutors, the monks at the Cobalt Soul, everyone. She had just thought…

She thought that was behind her. Not with the Mighty Nein, they were better than that.

Not with Caleb, they were closer than that.

She blinked.

Athesius clapped his hands together. “Well,” he said “Let’s get introductions out of the way and get to the business at hand. Beauregard of the Cobalt Soul and member of the Expositors, this is Mage Caleb Widogast, one of the more esteemed members of the Order of Civil Influence here in the Cerberus Assembly.”

Beau’s jaw was locked, gritting her teeth so tightly it felt like they would crack under the pressure. She wanted, more than anything she wanted, to rush over to red haired _fucker_ in front of her and let him get perfectly acquainted with her knuckles, but she could hear Fjord’s voice in her ear.

_“Don’t do anything too rash here, alright?”_ She could hear him say. _“Maybe there’s a reason for all this, yeah? Keep up pretenses. You don’t wanna make enemies of these people.”_

Even fictional-Fjord was more reasonable than herself.

She took in a deep breath, forced herself to release some of the tension in her jaw, and gave Caleb a stiff nod.

She took that moment to assess him, head to toe. On the outset, he looked the same. Same grubby coat, same tattered scarf, same spellbook tucked away, only the outline visible under the folds of his clothes. To the untrained eye, he looked like the same old Caleb. But she wasn’t untrained in the slightest.

Beau instantly took stock of the marked differences in him. He stood taller, more confident. The Caleb she knew was never a terribly confident man, preferring to stay tucked away in his world of self-loathing and pessimism than take credit for the wonderful things he’s done with the team. And, despite being in the same dirty clothes she knew oh-so-well, the rest of him was clean. Gone was the fine layer of muck and grime built up from weeks on the road and the water, gone was grease slicked hair, washed only by salt water, never getting fully cleaned. His clothes looked cleaned, as well. And his eyes…

There was something different, deep in his eyes that Beau simply couldn’t pinpoint. Were they harder? No. Maybe. She couldn’t tell. There was a resolve there that was different from the look she was used to from him. She stopped thinking too hard about it, she had time to figure it out, after all.

 Athesius gestured for Caleb and his coterie to sit, and Beau returned to hers. The red-haired woman stood, moving to collect something from the back wall of bookshelves as Athesius addressed the gathering.

“As you know from your separate debriefings, there will be a trade tribunal in Rexxentrum in a matter of days, and we expect you to gather intelligence and protect the high profile members from harm. The King has reason to believe that spies from Xhorhas may attempt to incite troubles between Tal’Dorei and the Empire to destabilize us during the war. With the recent burning of the fields…” He shook his head. “We need Tal’Dorei’s support now more than ever.” The red-head lady, Voss? Vess? It didn’t particularly matter to Beau, walked to the table, a small mountain of documents and scrolls in her arms. She sat the pile down on the table, handing thick packets to both Beau and Caleb.

“These are your full guides on the tribunal. Who you need to know, what you need to know, and how you need to know it. There’s a guest list, a full itinerary, tentative trade agreements, and a whole lot more in there. The tribunal will last for ten days and the vast majority of it will occur in the Grand Sanctorum of King Dwendal. It is technically within the royal palace so expect a large Crownsguard presence. We have prepared a meeting between you and the captain of the royal guard, their information is in your files. Those who need to know of your presence in the Crownsguard will. Everyone else will be informed only of your aliases. We have prepared several options for you, and the two of you may choose which you prefer. Inform us and we will send word ahead.”

On the table in front of them, she unrolled a large scroll, weighing it down on all sides to prevent curling.

“This is the layout of the royal palace. We expect you to have this memorized before entering the tribunal, as we also do with the information in your packets. “ She gave Beau an apologetic smile. Not a large one, but she tried. “I know there’s a lot of information there, but you have four days travel in a carriage with nothing else to do but read. You won’t be able to take all that in with you. Luckily, you have Mage Widogast at your side, as you’ll soon learn, his mind is a steel trap. Nothing escapes it.”

Beau turned to look at Caleb, sitting several seats down from her. He spared her the briefest sideways look before turning back to Lady Vess. _What is that look in his eyes?_ She wondered. Maybe guilt. Maybe he was sorry for lying to her.

Or maybe he was just sorry at getting caught.

Beau shifted her attention to Lady Vess. She smiled.

“I’m thrilled at the prospect of _really_ getting to know Mage Widogast during our weeks together. I think it will be an illuminating experience, getting to work with someone like him. I’m sure I’ll learn a thing or two from him.”

The rest of the meeting continued in a similar fashion, filling the two in on every piece of information they could jam into their heads. Foreign dignitaries, important customs, even how to handle one’s self at a formal meal.

_As if I didn’t already know that._ Beau thought, remembering countless childhood dinners, and countless nights after those countless dinners being reprimanded for impolite manners at the table.

Hours and hours of map layouts and noted espionage tactics were mentally taxing, and Beau was endlessly grateful when, a couple of hours after the sun set over the horizon, they finally announced it was time to depart for the evening. Before she could dash to the door, however, Athesius stopped her.

“One last thing, Beau. Weapons, generally, aren’t allowed events such as this. As such, I doubt you’ll be able to sneak that quarterstaff of yours in there. I know members of the Cobalt Soul are highly trained in the skill of martial arts, but I wanted you to have some sort of weapon you could bring in stealthily. Something small, innocuous. So we retrieved this for you.” From a desk drawer, Athesius produced in his hand a small pistol. It was smaller than Nott’s, for certain, and a much nicer build. The barrel had intricate filigree running down the side, and the handle was a dark, stained wood with a pearl inlay running down the side. It was a beautiful instrument. He handed it to her, along with a small velvet bag that rattled with shot and powder.

“This is small enough to slip into pockets and purses, and we gave you enough ammunition to hopefully last you the trip. We hope you don’t have to use it at all, but extra protection is always worthwhile.”

Beau cleared her throat, unsure of what to say at the gesture. “Uhh, thank you, for this. Does Caleb have one as well?” Athesius laughed.

“Caleb has a full arsenal of spells at hand that are far more powerful than that could ever be. Don’t you worry, the two of you will make an incredible team. I have no doubt of it.” _Oh, if only you knew._

“Well, uh, I’m gonna get packed for tomorrow morning. I’ll see you then, so, goodnight.” Beau made her way out of the room, and down the gilded halls, finally making her way into the cool night air of the Trispire. The streets were nearly empty, only a few people meandering through the streets making quiet conversation with each other cut through the silence. Beau took a deep breath.

What the _fuck_ was wrong with Caleb? Beau simply couldn’t wrap her head around it. Everything he had told her, about his family, about Trent, was it all just a lie? He claimed he hated the man with a vicious intensity, and yet there he sat for _hours_ next to him. He was his _protegee,_ they had said.

She started taking the long route back to the Leaky Tap.

He had given her Frumpkin for a week after she lost her owl, it was an incredibly kind gesture from him, especially given how attached to Frumpkin he always had been. Did it still mean anything? Did it have any weight? Or was it simply a moment he took advantage of to gain her favor for some future use? She thought she knew Caleb. He still had his secrets, sure, but so did she. And after all, she knew his biggest one, thought. But she didn’t.

She didn’t know Caleb at all.

She rounded the corner to the Leaky Tap. Making her way into the tavern, Fjord, Jester, and Caduceus sat downstairs, laughing and chatting with each other. Jester noticed her walk in and waved her over.

“Beau! Beau look at what Cad and I found today!” she held up a tiny teacup in her hands. “It’s a teacup that makes it’s own tea! Look, look!” Beau watched as the cup slowly filled with a light green liquid. Jester handed it to Caduceus. “Is it any better this time?” He took a slow sip and grimaced.

“Sadly, no. Would’ve been nice to have if it was.” Jester sighed, putting the teacup on the table.

“How was your day, Beau? Did you go shopping too?” Beau scratched the back of her neck, unsure of what to say.

“Yeah, I uh, I got some errands run- hey, I uh, I’m gonna be heading out of town for a couple weeks. I’ll be back as soon as I can, but I gotta head out for a bit.” The other three looked concerned, eyebrows knitted together.

“Is everything alright, Beau?” Fjord asked, concerned. She nodded.

“Yeah, no, it’s cool, it’s just some dumb monk stuff. Weird to think I still technically have a day job.”

“You know, Caleb’s also heading out of town for a couple of weeks?” Jester said. “He said it’s _personal._ ” She waggled her eyebrows. Beau barked out a quick laugh.

“Yeah, yeah I bet he is. You guys planning on just hanging here for a few weeks, then?” They had discussed their plans coming back to Zadash and they had all agreed it would be nice to stay in one place for a while. With military forces tight, mercenary work was easy to find in the city. Beau had been looking forward to a little time off after their most recent adventure.

So much for that.

“Yeah, we’re alright. You sure you don’t need a hand with your…monk stuff?” Fjord asked. Beau nodded.

“Really, I’m fine. I won’t be alone, anyway. They’re sending me with some douchebag from the Cerberus Assembly.” Jester leaned in, intrigued.

“What are you doing?” Beau smiled.

“Classified.” Jester groaned.

“Ugh! You’re no fun, Beau. Go do your dumb monk stuff without us. We’ll be chasing down more _sewer rats.”_ Jester wrinkled her nose in disgust. Beau laughed.

“Yeah, you guys have fun with that. I’m gonna crash, if you’re up in the morning I’ll catch you before I go, okay?” Beau made her way up the stairs, heading towards her room. As she did, she stopped for a moment in front of Caleb’s door, listening to see if she could hear any sign of life. Nothing. She sighed, and walked to her room, opening the door.

She pushed her way into her room, lost in thought. Running through her mind the days events, it took her several moments to realize she wasn’t alone in the room.

“We should talk, _ja?_ ”

Caleb sat on the edge of her bed.

She walked over and sat on the edge of Jester’s, across from him.

“Yeah. Yeah, I think we really should.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive! Hello!  
> 1) First, a belated blessed Yule to you all, and a happy holiday to you. May our days grow stronger and our stars burn bright! The Oak King has retaken his throne and the King of Holly is nursing his battle wounds for the next six months. If you ever want to deeply confuse someone who refuses to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas in the deep south, I highly recommend spouting Wiccan Yule lore at them for several minutes.  
> 2) I'm sorry this chapter is shorter, the holidays have been incredibly hectic for me and I simply haven't had much time to write. I'm already halfway done with the next chapter, however, and it looks like it will be nearly 6,500-7,000 words, so there's something to look forward to. Plus, this chapter was a bit of an exposition dump and it felt like a natural stopping point where I was.  
> 3) I'm working under the vague assumption that Beau has told the others beyond Caleb that she is a member of the Cobalt Soul, especially after the whole Avantika thing. I know it's never been explicitly stated but she's a monk in cobalt blue vestiges c'mon....  
> 4) Next chapter should be up in the next week! I'm flying back from visiting my parents on New Years Eve but then I have a full week off before classes start again so I'm open and free to do nothing but write, until classes start and I'm required to do nothing but write for a grade. No worries, I'll still have time for this.  
> 5) Thoughts? Comments? Concerns? Let me know in the comments, and thanks for reading, guys!


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